motive: cohesive powders look like asteroid surfaces and ... · the microgravity surfaces of small...
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Motive: Cohesive Powders Look Like Asteroid Surfaces and Can Refine Asteroid Simulations G. Devaud3, A. Fischer3, D. D. Durda1, P. Sánchez2, D. J. Scheeres2, P. F. Kaptchen3, S. E. Roark3, and R. Dissly3. 1Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 300 Boulder, CO 80302
(durda@boulder.swri.edu), 2University of Colorado, Boulder CO 80309, 3Ball Aerospace and Technology Corporation, Boulder CO 80301 Corresponding Author Jenny Devaud: gdevaud@ball.com
Jenny Devaud
High-resolution images of the near-Earth asteroids 433 Eros and 25143 Itokawa, returned by the
NASA NEAR-Shoemaker and JAXA Hayabusa missions, respectively, and spacecraft-
reconnaissance-quality radar observations of several other near-Earth asteroids (NEAs), have
revealed surfaces covered in coarse regoliths. The largest size fractions in these regoliths are
boulders ranging in size up to many 10s of meters across. While certainly some or even many of
these boulders must be coherent, solid blocks of competent rock (solid rocky meteorites derived
from NEAs and their main-belt precursors fall to Earth on a regular basis), the possibility remains
that some others might in fact be composed of loosely-bonded clods of smaller regolith particles
held together by self-cohesive forces that can play a dominant role in affecting regolith properties
and processes in the microgravity environments on these small objects.
Scheeres et al. [1] performed a survey of the known relevant forces that act on grains and particles
on asteroid surfaces (including gravitational and rotational accelerations, Coulomb friction, self
gravitation, electrostatics, solar radiation pressure forces, and surface contact cohesive forces),
developed their analytical form and relevant constants for the space environment, and considered
how these forces scale relative to each other. Among key findings of that study is the result that
van der Waals cohesive forces should be a significant effect for the mechanics and evolution of
asteroid surfaces and interiors and that asteroid regolith may be better described by cohesive
powders (for a familiar analogy, consider the mechanical properties of bread flour) than by
traditional analyses assuming cohesionless grains.
This observation implies that regoliths composed of impact debris of those sizes should behave on
the microgravity surfaces of small asteroids like flour or other cohesive powders do in the 1-g
environment here on Earth. To this end, we have been conducting a series of laboratory
experiments to investigate the role of cohesion in governing regolith processes and
geomorphological expression on small solar system bodies. Our goal is to develop an improved
understanding of the geomorphological expression of granular media in the microgravity
environments of regoliths on small asteroids, and to quantify the range of expected mechanical
properties of such regoliths.
Based on a rigorous comparison of forces it can be shown that van der Waals cohesive forces
between millimeter to centimeter-sized grains on asteroids ranging in size from Eros to Itokawa,
respectively, may exceed their ambient weight several-fold.
This observation implies that regoliths composed of impact debris of those sizes should behave
on the microgravity surfaces of small asteroids like flour or other cohesive powders do in the 1-g
environment here on Earth.
10 micron scale on Earth
mm-cm scale on Itokawa
Pile Tip
Pile Two Wall Compression and Tip
Four Wall Vibration and Tip
One Moving Wall Progression
Glass Microspheres
White Flour
Sand
JSC-1AF
Toner
Reproduction of Published Results
Published Results
Goal: Create High Accuracy Asteroid Simulations Summary:10 μm diameter Glass Microspheres in 1g can be used to approximate the mm-cm dust particles in μ g (which comprise asteroids). Using data from Glass Microsphere lab experiments in vacuum, asteroid simulations can be refined and calibrated.
10 μm scale dust in 1g can be used to approximate mm-cm scale dust in μg
Because powder simulations use spherical models to approximate dust particles, glass microspheres are the most appropriate real world cohesive powder to study.
Dust Particles in Simulation Frequently Studied Dust Particles (SEM x5000 Mag)
Using various approaches, we can recreate asteroid topography in cohesive powders under ½ Torr Vacuum Various Asteroid features can be found in test results shown outlined in red
We can calibrate simulation of mm-cm scale dust in μg using real world 10 μm scale Dust Piles in 1g from lab experiments
Spinning Pile
Sieve Dust into Pile Pump Down To Vacuum Tip Pile
Sieve Dust into Pile Pump Down To Vacuum and Compress Pile
Tip Pile
Sieve Dust into 4 Wall Box Pump Down To Vacuum and Vibrate
Remove 2 Walls and Tip Pile
Sieve Dust into 4 Wall Box
Sieve Dust into Pile Pump Down To Vacuum Tip Pile
Move 1 Wall and Observe Column Collapse
Asteroid
Experimental Rubble Pile Rubble Pile “Boulders” “Boulders” Isolated
“Boulders” Graphed
Conclusions: 10 μm diameter Glass Microspheres in 1g can be used to approximate the mm-cm dust particles in μ g (which comprise asteroids). Using data from Glass Microsphere lab experiments in vacuum, asteroid simulations can be refined and calibrated.
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